PS3 Fanboy

5. Architecture: Cell is too unique and could cause developer problems
7. Even with redundancy, PS3 might have high defects at launch

Just those two tell me those you guys have everything but a clue. By now, IBM has already provided a ton of material and development tools and libraries to use the Cell as it should be used (check out their Cell website) and a whole community around the Cell beyond the PS3 already exists (other then the Xenon CPU) Re. what you call redundancy: there is nothing like this in the Cell. Each Cell has 7 working SPEs and there is no redundant one, basta. The 8.SPE gets disabled by IBM during production and can not be used in any way. Btw, this has been said a million times ;-)

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* Cost
* No more rumble feature
* Game prices may be high

Why would you roll your eyes at those legitimate concerns? There were other "cons" listed that were actually eye-rolling like "size" and "defects".

As far as defects are concerned, I wouldn't worry about the Cell as much as the Bluray drive. IBM will do just fine. Sony + Lasers = Bad (from experience).

And web browsing? How important is that really? It's not. If you want to browse effectively, you're going to have to use a PC. How well did WebTV work out? Yeah...

I think the author jumps the gun a bit at saying the PS3 has the widest 3rd party support; that has yet to be seen. Maybe he meant the PS2?

Anyway, I think the pros that stand out are:

Exclusive titles, backwards compatibility (upscaled), and coming standard with hard drives.

I don't think the cons really matter either...many people will just wait for a price drop. That's when the PS3's shining titles will be available anyway.

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The 8th is not disabled. It is a ECC type redundancy to ensure data integrity. This isn't bad or a system flaw, but rather a smart design feature.
It doesn't matter how many times something is said, it can still be wrong.
The Cell arcitecture IS a problem for realtime applications due to it's high degree of paralelism. Any multi-threaded system will pose a problem for real-time applications (yes, even the 360 and those nifty new dual-core chips in the latest PCs).
The real problem isn't the tools provided by IBM, but rather the software toolkits provided by Sony. They pale in comparison to the MS toolkits (MS is a software giant with years of experience making development platforms for systems far more complex than a gaming machine). This will hinder, but not stop game makers and may turn some smaller development houses away initially.

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The PS3's size and weight is shown on the official website. It weighs around 11 lbs. It is significantly larger than the PS2, But that's a lot of freakin hardware, and it needs room to breath, right?

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@ SuicideNinja -- the eye-rolling wasn't meant as insignificant drawbacks, but more as a beating of a dead horse. While cost and such are indeed legitimate concerns, they've been knocked around so many times it almost brings pain to hear it as an argument. Maybe because it's a good one, maybe because it's getting to be really, really old.

Your other points are great, even though... I've still got my first PS2 from 2000. And my laptop is a few years old (Vaio) and hasn't had any of the issues my friend's laptops have. Perhaps it is a matter of personal experience, but with mine, I do trust Sony.

As for web browsing, while not exactly practical, I'm lazy. I don't want to run upstairs to my computer to check out gamefaqs if I'm in trouble. I'll keep my seat. But you are right -- it's not the best thing.

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Ndoerr:

You (or joystiq) forgot one of the most important things here, one that has MANY developers excited for:

Pros:

5. Blu-ray potential.

'nuff said. There's a lot of space that can be used there without necessarily having to ramp up costs of games that high. Here are a few examples:

-You can future game trailers instead of having to download them.

-You can have many languages on a single disc, languages that will still make it anyway to other parts of the world. I don't live in the states, and I hate having to stick with a single language with DVD when I'm playing Halo (or any other game).

-You can have more FMV, and there is no doubt that it is always good not to be restricted. (A good example would be SF Anniversary Collection, which includes a full length movie on the game disc; you think that would fit if it was meant to be in high-definition?)

-You don't have to compress as much as you would with a DVD9, saving processing power for other things gameplay related.


-You can have games that are not necessarily 25 or 50 GB big, but games that are simply more than just 9GB

...and don't give me the "multiple disc solution" crap, since not only is it more expensive to test games that come in multiple discs, games such as GTA, The Getaway, Fighting games, Racing games, and Sports games just can't be made to use multiple discs, for usability reasons.

I'm getting tired of repeating this, and I say all this despite my satisfaction with the media center extender functionality and XBLA for 360, because this is where 360's potential ends (when PS3's is barely starting).

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@tom I don't know where are you taking your info from, but have a look at this interview with IBM's Tom Reeves
http://www.reed-electronics.com/electronicnews/article/CA6350202.html?industryid=21365

Reeves: There are a lot of chips with six cores operational, and we’ve been thinking about whether we should really throw all of those away. We also have a separate part number for chips with all eight cores good. The stuff that’s going to be for medical imaging, aerospace and defense and data uses eight cores.

Cell with 8 cores working have a different part number (from the one used in the PS3) and will of course cost substantially more. Again: there is no redundancy. Sony is using the "cheaper" cells for the PS3.

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Wait... no rumble-gimmic! The apocalypse is coming!

Oh.... wait... I'd rather strap electrodes to my torso and other bodyparts and have some real "force-feedback". Would at least be less gimmicky if when you get "shot", the electrodes make you spasm.

Until then, I'd rather have the DualShake3 which will actually be able to be used to help play the games.

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@ boots -- Yeah, I sort of sidestepped the hot topic of Blu-Ray. Like I said, before seeing what we actually get out of the format, it's hard to weigh it as positive or negative, but with the promises being made, it seems pretty keen. However, the price may indeed turn some off. It's one of those "time will tell" issues, to me.

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Nick, it's exactly like the "Cell processor potential". To be redundant: Potential. The Cell is also a "Time Will Tell" issue.

Since potential apparently deserves a mention, and yet more developers are more excited about Blu-ray, wouldn't it make sense to include Blu-ray too, even if it is (also) a "Time Will Tell" issue?

At least that's what I'm most excited about PS3, in terms of potential.

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Everyone (including myself in the past) has complained about the cost. And I am not sure we should be complaining about the cost so much as complaining that Sony has forced us to have components. If you line up a PS3 premium system, and then buy all the add-ons for the Xbox 360 the Xbox 360 actually may come out being a little more expensive. If you buy the Xbox 360 premium package you obviously get the hard drive, but add on the wireless adaptor at $99 and you are already at the price of a PS3, and you still will have to purchase their HD-DVD add on drive. So I am not sure price is really the issue we should list as a con. But instead the lack of being able to customize the PS3 to fit specific gamer wants and needs. The PS3 is kind of the system that is all things to everybody, and we have to pay for that. Where as the Xbox 360 could be said to be more customizable.

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@boots

When you say "5. Blu-ray potential.

'nuff said."
You're supposed to stop arguing, as you have "said 'nuff" just thought I would throw that our there

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The only con is waiting until november to get one. Other than that is all pros.

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@ boots -- Word. That's all I can come up with. Honestly, I seriously can't wait to try out a next-gen RPG. Anyway, you're right about the potential argument and I can't wait to see what the PS3 can do. But I still won't change the list =P

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"Game prices may be high", O cmon...

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